Lincoln Riley Responds to USC Attendance Criticism After CFB Opener at Coliseum vs. San Jose State

USC coach Lincoln Riley brushed aside the conversations sparked by the attendance for the Trojans' 42-26 victory over San Jose State to open the 2026 college football season.

"This is USC — people are going to have an opinion," he said Tuesday, per ESPN's Paolo Uggetti . "I don't buy into the false narrative. I think that comes from a lot of people that don't follow our program, and most of those have never stepped foot in the Coliseum."

The official attendance for the game was listed at 51,144, though the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum looked far emptier as the event kicked off.

While Riley contends this is a "false narrative," USC felt the need to issue a statement addressing the situation.

"We understand the factors that impacted Saturday's attendance," the school said, per USA Today 's Jordan Mendoza . "We have high expectations and a premier home schedule this season, and we know the competitive advantage an electric Coliseum atmosphere can provide our program. We thank our fans who showed up Saturday and look forward to seeing increased attendance the rest of the season."

The extreme heat in Los Angeles may have dissuaded fans from showing up, and a Week 0 clash against San Jose State isn't a major draw in the best of conditions.

For some, though, the images of empty seats at the Coliseum reflected a general lack of excitement around the program.

USC has yet to reach the College Football Playoff since hiring Riley ahead of the 2022 campaign. In addition, the heyday of the Pete Carroll era gets further and further away with each passing year.

The Trojans sat 14th in the preseason AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, so they're firmly in the playoff discussion. But the fans have spent roughly a decade — maybe more — buying into the hype, only to wind up disappointed with the team's finish.

Nothing gets people on board like winning, and USC has big home matchups with No. 2 Oregon, No. 17 Washington and No. 1 Ohio State on the schedule. The attendance will inevitably climb.

But the relatively small crowd last week isn't something the school should write off given the larger context.